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BALLINAMORE |
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Three miles northeast of Fenagh lies BALLINAMORE , a wide-streeted
former coaching town, which has a heritage-folk museum in the library
building, once the courthouse, halfway down its main street (July-Sept
Mon-Fri 10am-1pm & 2-5pm; free). Highlight of the dull and chaotically
organized collection is the "authentic detachable shirt collar worn by
executed 1916 patriot Seán MacDiarmada" - and if you don't believe it,
there's a photograph of the man to prove it. The library also houses the
Leitrim Genealogical Centre. Today, Ballinamore acts as a centre for
angling in Leitrim's lakes, and for boating on the Shannon-Erne Waterway.
Canal barges can be rented from Riverside Barge Holidays (tel
078/44122), canoes from Thomas Parkes (tel 078/44860). Alternatively,
you could take a two-hour river cruise for £7/¬8.89 (takes 2hr; June-Sept
only; tel 078/44079).
There's inexpensive accommodation at the fine Ballinamore Holiday Hostel
(IHH; tel 078/44955), located above Smyth's Restaurant . One of the
nicest B&Bs is Ardnum Lodge (tel 078/44278; £33-40/¬41.90-50.79), on the
road towards Fenagh; Town View (tel 078/44464; £26-33/¬33.01-41.90), on
the same road, caters largely for anglers and also does evening meals,
while Mrs Gormley's (tel 078/44082; £40-55/¬50.79-69.84), Main Street,
is plain and unpretentious. McAllister Hotel (tel 078/44068;
£40-55/¬50.79-69.84) is central and newly refurbished. Probably the best
place to eat is the cheerful Smyth's Restaurant , Main Street, a good
spot for tasty homemade food. During the summer you can hear music in
one of the town's numerous bars; Reynold's has traditional music on a
Thursday.
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